WO2019156371A1

WO2019156371A1 - Cooking apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2019156371A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/000357
Authority: WO
Inventors: 문현욱; 김의성; 오두용
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2018-02-08
Filing date: 2019-01-09
Publication date: 2019-08-15
Also published as: EP3751961B1; EP3751961A1; US20210195698A1; EP3751961A4; KR102049864B1; KR20190096027A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus allowing a heating module to move in a two-dimensional space to correspond to a location in which a cooking vessel is disposed and, particularly, to a cooking apparatus comprising: an upper plate supporting a cooking vessel; a heating module which is formed to be movable in a space provided under the upper plate and is provided with a coil; a substrate disposed between the upper plate and the heating module and printed with a plurality of coil patterns; an inverter unit for applying a resonance current to each of the plurality of coil patterns; and a control unit for controlling the heating module, the substrate and the inverter unit, wherein the control unit determines the location of the cooking vessel on the upper plate on the basis of the frequency or number of pulses of the resonance current applied to the each of the plurality of coil patterns. The present invention can provide a cooking apparatus which can exactly recognize of the location of a cooking vessel disposed on the cooking apparatus and move a heating module to the recognized location.

Description

Cooker

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance, and more particularly, to a cooking appliance capable of varying a position of a heating module for heating a cooking vessel.

In general, the cooking appliance may refer to products for cooking food using electricity or other energy (eg, gas) at home or indoors.

Among such cookers, a cooker using gas as a heat source includes a gas range, a gas oven or a gas oven range, and a cooker using electricity as a heat source includes an induction range, an electric range using a radiant heater, and a microwave oven. There is also a cooking appliance that combines an induction range using electricity and a gas oven using gas.

In particular, the induction range is a cooking device using induction heating (IH). Induction heating may refer to a technique that allows an induced current to flow without directly contacting an object to be heated. That is, induction heating may refer to a technology in which a magnetic field is formed around a coil when a current is applied to the coil to generate heat in the cooking vessel disposed in the magnetic field space. In this case, the cooking vessel may be formed of a material to which the magnet is attached (for example, a metal to which the magnet is attached).

For example, Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2907-0127097 discloses a conventional cooking appliance.

In the conventional cooking appliance, a coil for heating the cooking vessel is provided at a predetermined position of the cooking appliance, and the user has an inconvenience in that the cooking vessel must be disposed at a position corresponding to the coil.

The present invention is to solve the above-described problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking apparatus capable of heating the cooking vessel, even if the cooking vessel at any position on the cooking appliance.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus capable of accurately recognizing the position of the cooking vessel disposed on the cooking apparatus.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus capable of moving the heating module to the lower side of the cooking vessel based on the recognized position of the cooking vessel.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus capable of stably supplying a current to the heating module, even if the heating module provided in the cooking appliance moves, without interruption or disconnection of the current supply.

The present invention is to achieve the above object, it is possible to precisely recognize the position of the cooking vessel placed on the top plate of the cooking appliance, it is possible to provide a cooking apparatus capable of automatically moving the heating module to the lower side of the cooking vessel.

Specifically, the top plate for supporting the cooking vessel; A heating module formed to be movable in a space provided below the upper plate and having a coil; A substrate disposed between the upper plate and the heating module and having a plurality of coil patterns printed thereon; An inverter unit applying a resonance current to each of the plurality of coil patterns; And a controller for controlling the heating module, the substrate, and the inverter unit. In this case, the controller may determine the position of the cooking vessel on the top plate based on the number or frequency of pulses of the resonance current applied to each of the plurality of coil patterns.

Therefore, even if the cooking vessel is placed in any position on the top plate, the position of the cooking vessel is automatically determined, the heating module can be automatically moved to the position corresponding to the cooking vessel.

The substrate may be formed to have a size covering an upper end of the space. Therefore, the position of the cooking vessel may be determined based on the entire space in which the heating module is movable.

The plurality of coil patterns may be arranged to form a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals on the substrate. Therefore, the position of the cooking vessel can be determined more accurately.

The controller may repeatedly control the inverter unit to generate a one shot pulse at a predetermined cycle in the plurality of coil patterns until the position of the cooking vessel is determined. Therefore, even if the user places the cooking vessel on the top plate at any position and at any time, the position of the cooking vessel can be automatically determined.

The apparatus may further include a plurality of recognition units connected to the plurality of coil patterns, respectively, to recognize the number and frequency of pulses generated from the corresponding coil patterns. This is to determine the type of cooking vessel and the position of the cooking vessel by comparing the number of pulses and comparing the frequency.

The controller may be electrically connected to the plurality of recognition units to receive information about the number and frequency of pulses generated in each coil pattern. The controller may determine a target coil pattern corresponding to a position where a cooking vessel is placed among a plurality of coil patterns based on the information.

In detail, the controller may receive information about the position of the target coil pattern through a memory in which position information of each of the plurality of coil patterns is stored. The controller may determine the position of the cooking vessel based on the information on the position of the target coil pattern. Therefore, the controller can determine the position of the cooking vessel quickly and accurately.

The target coil pattern may include a first target coil pattern disposed to completely overlap the lower side of the cooking vessel, and a second target coil pattern disposed to partially overlap the lower side of the cooking vessel. In this case, the number or frequency of pulses detected by the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern may be different from each other. Through the definition of the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern, the position of the cooking vessel can be determined more quickly and accurately.

Specifically, when the number of pulses of the resonant current recognized by all of the plurality of recognizing units is greater than or equal to a first predetermined reference number and the frequency of the resonant current is a predetermined first reference frequency, the controller may be configured on the top plate. It may be determined that the cooking vessel is not located.

The controller may determine a coil pattern having a number of pulses of the resonance current less than the first reference number and smaller than or equal to the predetermined second reference number as the second target coil pattern. Alternatively, the controller may determine a coil pattern having a number of pulses of the resonance current less than the second reference number as the first target coil pattern.

In addition, the controller may determine a coil pattern having a frequency of resonant current less than the first reference frequency and smaller than the second reference frequency as the second target coil pattern. Alternatively, the controller may determine a coil pattern having a frequency of a resonance current less than the second reference frequency as the first target coil pattern.

The controller may move the heating module to the lower side of the cooking vessel based on the determined position of the cooking vessel. Therefore, since the heating module is automatically moved, the user's convenience can be increased.

Specifically, when the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern are simultaneously sensed, the controller may move the heating module based on the position of the first target coil pattern.

In contrast, when the plurality of first target coil patterns are detected, the controller may move the heating module based on a position corresponding to the center of the plurality of first target coil patterns.

The controller may move the heating module based on a position corresponding to the center of the plurality of second target coil patterns when the plurality of second target coil patterns are detected.

According to the present invention, even if the cooking vessel is disposed at any position on the cooking appliance, it is possible to provide a cooking appliance capable of heating the cooking vessel.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooking apparatus capable of accurately recognizing the position of the cooking vessel disposed on the cooking apparatus.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooking apparatus capable of moving the heating module to the lower side of the cooking vessel based on the recognized position of the cooking vessel.

In addition, according to the present invention, even if the heating module provided in the cooking appliance moves, it is possible to provide a cooking apparatus capable of stably supplying the current to the heating module, without interruption or disconnection of the current supply.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a view showing a heating module provided in the cooking appliance of FIG.

3 is a view showing the electrical connection between the rail and the coil provided in the heating module.

4 is a diagram illustrating a connection relationship between main components.

5 is a view showing a substrate for determining the position of the cooking vessel.

6 is a view showing a connection relationship between the components for determining the position of the cooking vessel.

Hereinafter, a cold water supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings show exemplary forms of the present invention, which are provided to explain the present invention in detail, thereby not limiting the technical scope of the present invention.

In addition, irrespective of the reference numerals, the same or corresponding components will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. For convenience of description, the size and shape of each component may be exaggerated or reduced. have.

1 is a conceptual view illustrating a cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a view showing a heating module provided in the cooking apparatus of FIG.

Specifically, FIG. 1 schematically shows a plan view of a state in which a top plate on which a cooking vessel is placed is removed, and FIG. 2 schematically shows a side cross section of a heating module provided in a space below an upper limit.

In addition, for convenience of description, in FIG. 1, the X axis may represent a length direction of the cooking appliance, and the Y axis may represent a width direction of the cooking appliance.

1 and 2 together, the cooking appliance 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed in an induction range in which the cooking vessel is heated by a magnetic field generated by a current applied to the coil.

The cooking apparatus 10 may include a heating module 200 disposed below the upper plate 100, and rails 310 and 320 disposed below the heating module 200.

The upper plate 100 may be formed of at least one material of glass, marble, ceramic, and wood. The cooking vessel 150 may be disposed on the upper plate 100. That is, the cooking vessel 150 may be supported by the top plate 100.

In this case, the cooking vessel 150 may be formed of a material that can be heated by a magnetic field generated by the heating module 200. For example, the cooking vessel 150 may be formed of a material to which a magnet is attached (for example, a metal to which the magnet is attached). In this case, the cooking vessel 150 itself may be heated by the heating module 200 to heat the contents of the cooking vessel 150.

Alternatively, an induction coil may be provided in which an induction current may be generated by the magnetic field of the heating module 200. In this case, the material of the cooking vessel 150 may be any material, and the induction current generated from the induction coil may be used as energy for heating the inside of the cooking vessel 150.

The heating module 200 may be disposed in the space S provided at the lower side of the upper plate 100. The heating module 200 may be provided to be movable in the space (S). For example, the heating module 200 may be provided to be movable in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the cooking apparatus in the space (S).

The heating module 200 may be provided with a coil 210. The coil 210 may be formed of a material including copper. For example, the coil 210 may be formed in a shape in which a copper wire is wound in a circle a plurality of times. That is, the coil 210 may be formed in a form in which copper wires are wound a plurality of times at different radii. In other words, the coil 210 may be formed in a form wound several times to gradually increase the radius of the copper wire.

When a current is applied to the coil 210, a magnetic field may be generated. In this case, the current may be an alternating current. The cooking vessel 150 disposed above the coil 210 may be heated by the magnetic field generated by the coil 210.

The heating module 200 may further include an inverter 270 disposed below the coil 210. The inverter 270 may be configured to convert a current supplied to the heating module 200 into a high frequency current. That is, a current is supplied to the inverter 270 from an external power source, and the inverter 270 may convert the current supplied from the external power source into a high frequency current and supply it to the coil 210.

The inverter 270 is provided in the heating module 200, and when the heating module 200 moves, the inverter 270 may also move together. The inverter 270 may be controlled by the controller C to be described later. For example, the inverter 270 may be controlled by the control unit C through wireless communication.

That is, since the inverter 270 moves together with the coil 210 when the heating module 200 moves, between the inverter 270 and the coil 210 even if the heating module 200 moves. Electrical shorts or disconnections can be prevented.

The heating module 200 may further include a magnetic field blocking member 250 disposed between the coil 210 and the inverter 270. That is, the coil 210, the magnetic field blocking member 250, and the inverter 270 may be sequentially disposed from above. The magnetic field blocking member 250 may be formed to block the magnetic field generated by the coil 210 from traveling to the inverter 270.

For example, the magnetic field blocking member 250 may be formed of an aluminum plate. Malfunctions and breakage of the inverter 270 may be prevented by the magnetic field blocking member 250.

The heating module 200 may further include a ferrite core 230 disposed between the coil 210 and the inverter 270. Specifically, the ferrite core 230 may be disposed between the coil 210 and the magnetic field blocking member 250.

The path of the magnetic field generated by the coil 210 by the ferrite core 230 may be concentrated to the cooking vessel 150 disposed above the coil 210. That is, the ferrite core 230 may concentrate the path of the magnetic field generated in the coil 210 to the upper side of the coil 210. The strength of the magnetic field affecting the cooking vessel may be amplified by the ferrite core 230.

Referring to FIG. 1, the

rails

310 and 320 may be formed to guide the movement of the heating module 200. The

rails

310 and 320 may be disposed below the heating module 200. That is, the

rails

310 and 320 may be disposed below the heating module 200 in the space S provided below the upper plate 100.

Current from an external power source may be applied to the

rails

310 and 320. For example, the

rails

310 and 320 may be formed of a conductive metal. In addition, the heating module 200 may receive a current through the

rails

310 and 320. Therefore, even if the heating module 200 moves in the space S, occurrence of an electrical short circuit between the

rails

310 and 320 and the heating module 200 can be prevented.

The

rails

310 and 320 may include a first rail 310 disposed above the heating module 200 and electrically connected to the heating module 200. The first rail 310 may be formed to have a predetermined length to extend in the width direction (ie, the Y-axis direction) of the cooking appliance 10.

The heating module 200 may move along the extension direction of the first rail 310 on the first rail 310. When the heating module 200 moves on the first rail 310, an electrical connection between the first rail 310 and the heating module 200 may be maintained.

Therefore, no matter where the heating module 200 is located on the first rail 310, the heating module 200 may receive current from an external power source through the first rail 310.

Specifically, the first rail 310 may be provided in a pair to supply an alternating current to the heating module 200. That is, the pair of first rails 310 may extend in the width direction of the cooking appliance 200 in parallel to each other.

In addition, the heating module 200 may be provided with a contact terminal 280 maintained in contact with the first rail 310. The contact terminals 280 may also be provided in pairs to correspond to the pair of first rails 310. An alternating current may be applied to the heating module 200 to the coil 210 through the pair of first rails 310 and the pair of contact terminals 280.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the pair of first rails 310 and the pair of contact terminals 280 may be in contact with each other in the pair of first contact regions 315. The pair of first contact regions 315 may be changed in position according to the movement of the heating module 200 on the first rail 310.

One end of the contact terminal 280 may be connected to the inverter 270. The other end (ie, the free end) of the contact terminal 280 may be in contact with the first rail 310. Accordingly, current from an external power source may be applied to the coil 210 via the first rail 310, the contact terminal 280, and the inverter 270 sequentially.

For example, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical connection between the rail and the coil provided in the heating module.

1 and 3 together, the pair of first rails 310 may be spaced apart from each other and arranged in parallel. An area of the upper end of the first rail 310 may be smaller than an area of the lower end of the first rail 310, and the contact terminal 280 may contact the upper end of the first rail 310. This is to prevent shorts that may occur between the first rail 310 and the contact terminal 280.

The first rail 310 and the inverter 270 may be electrically connected by the contact terminal 280.

In detail, the free end 289 of the contact terminal 280 may contact an upper end of the first rail 310. In this case, the contact terminal 280 may include a bent portion 281 so that the free end 289 elastically contacts the upper end of the first rail 310.

That is, the bent portion 281 is formed on the first rail 310, so that the free end of the first rail 310 may elastically contact the upper end of the first rail 310. The bent portion 281 may be disposed closer to the other end than one end of the contact terminal 280. In other words, the bent portion 281 may be disposed adjacent to the free end 289 of the contact terminal 280.

Therefore, the free end of the contact terminal 280 is pressed downward on the first rail 310 toward the first rail 310, so that the contact force between the first rail 310 and the contact terminal 280 is reduced Can be increased.

1 and 2, the

rails

310 and 320 may further include a second rail 320 orthogonal to the first rail 310. The second rail 320 may be electrically connected to the first rail 310.

The first rail 310 may move along an extension direction of the second rail 320 while maintaining an electrical connection with the second rail 320. That is, the second rail 320 may be formed to extend in the longitudinal direction (that is, the X-axis direction) of the cooking appliance 10 to a predetermined length.

The first rail 310 may be formed to be movable in the extension direction of the second rail 320 on the second rail 320. In this case, even if the first rail 310 moves on the second rail 320, the electrical connection between the first rail 310 and the second rail 320 may be maintained.

In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of second rails 320 may be provided to correspond to the pair of first rails 310. The pair of first rails 310 and the pair of second rails 320 may contact each other in the pair of second contact regions 325. The position of the pair of second contact regions 325 may be changed according to the movement of the first rail 310 on the second rail 320.

When a current is applied to one of the first rail 310 and the second rail 320 from an external power source, the current may be applied to the other. That is, since the first rail 310 and the second rail 320 are electrically connected, the degree of freedom of electrical connection through an external power source may be increased.

Meanwhile, since the first rail 310 may move along the extension direction of the second rail 320 on the second rail 320, an external power source is electrically connected to the second rail 320, and the first rail 310 may be moved. The rail 310 may be preferably supplied with current through the second rail 320.

That is, the first rail 310 may be movable, and the second rail 320 may be fixed at a predetermined position. For example, the second rail 320 may be disposed at one side in the width direction in the space S.

When an external power source is directly electrically connected to the movable first rail 310, an electrical short circuit or disconnection may occur between the external power source and the first rail 310. Therefore, it is preferable that an external power source is connected to the fixed second rail 320 and the first rail 310 receives a current through the second rail 320.

That is, the external power source is electrically connected directly to the second rail 320, and the current from the external power source is connected to the second rail 320, the first rail 310, the contact terminal 280, and the It may be applied to the coil 210 via the inverter 270 sequentially.

The cooking appliance 10 may further include one or more moving means 410, 420 for moving the position of the heating module 200. For example, the moving means 410 and 420 may be formed by at least one or a combination of wheels, a motor, a gear, and a hydraulic cylinder. Since various moving means have already been disclosed with respect to the specific configuration of the moving means, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The moving means (410, 420) is the first moving means 410 for moving the heating module 200 on the first rail 310 and the second rail 310 on the second rail (320) It may include a second moving means 420 for moving the.

The first moving means 410 may be formed to provide power for moving the heating module 200 on the first rail 310. In addition, the second moving means 420 may be formed to provide power for moving the second rail 310 on the second rail 320.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first moving means 410 may be provided in the heating module 200 or spaced apart from the heating module 200. In order to prevent interference when the heating module 200 moves, the first moving means 410 may be provided in the heating module 200.

The second moving means 420 is also preferably disposed at a position capable of minimizing interference when the heating module 200 is moved. The second moving means 420 may be disposed on one side of the second rail 320.

For example, both of the second rail 320 and the second moving means 420 may be disposed at one side in the width direction of the cooking apparatus 10. In addition, the second moving means 420 may be disposed to be more biased toward one side of the cooking apparatus 200 in width direction than the second rail 320. Therefore, interference between the second moving means 420 and the heating module 200 can be prevented.

On the other hand, the heating module 200 may be disposed on the first support bracket 290. The first support bracket 290 may have a length greater than the width. The first support bracket 290 may be disposed on the second support bracket 390 on which the first rail 310 is disposed. The second support bracket 290 may extend in an extending direction of the first rail 310. The second support bracket 390 may be formed to have a greater width than its length.

The first support bracket 290 may move relative to the second support bracket 390 by the first moving means 410. That is, the first support bracket 290 may be moved along the extension direction of the second support bracket 390 by the first moving means 410. For example, the first support bracket 290 may be slidably moved on the second support bracket 390 by the first moving means 410.

In addition, the second support bracket 390 may move relative to the second rail 320 by the second moving means 420. That is, the second support bracket 390 may be moved along the extension direction of the second rail 320 by the second moving means 420. For example, the second rail 320 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the space S provided below the upper plate 100, and the second support bracket 390 is the second moving means 420. ) May be slidably moved on the second rail 320.

The first rail 310 and the second moving means 420 may be disposed on the second support bracket 390. The second rail 320 may be disposed to cross the second support bracket 390 in a longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) at a lower side of the second support bracket 390.

The movement means 410 and 420 may receive a current through at least one of the first rail 310 and the second rail 320. For example, the first moving means 410 and the second moving means 420 may be electrically connected to the first rail 310 or the second rail 320 to receive a current. Therefore, a wiring for supplying current to the first rail 310 and the second rail 320 can be simply implemented.

In the illustrated embodiment, both the first moving means 410 and the second moving means 420 may receive a current through the first rail 310.

Specifically, a first connecting line 411 may be provided between the first moving means 410 and the contact terminal 280, and the first moving means 410 may be provided through the first connecting line 411. Current can be supplied.

In addition, a second connecting line 421 may be provided between the second moving means 420 and the first rail 310, and the second moving means 420 may be provided through the second connecting line 421. Current can be supplied.

For example, the second connection line 421 may be arranged to connect one end portion of the first rail 310 in the longitudinal direction with the second moving means 420. Here, one longitudinal end of the first rail 310 may be an end relatively close to the second moving means 420 of both longitudinal ends of the first rail 310.

By the arrangement of the first connection line 411 and the second connection line 421 as described above, interference with the heating module 200 can be prevented, and the first moving means 410 using the minimum length of the connection line. The current may be supplied to the second moving means 420.

The cooking appliance 10 may further include a substrate 500 disposed between the upper plate 100 and the heating module 200. The substrate 500 may be formed of a printed circuit board. A plurality of coil patterns may be printed on the substrate 500. For example, the plurality of coil patterns may be printed on a copper material. The position of the cooking vessel placed on the cooking appliance 10 may be determined through the substrate 500, and a detailed description thereof will be described later with reference to other drawings.

Hereinafter, with reference to other drawings, it will be described for the electrical connection of the major components provided in the cooking device 10.

4 is a diagram illustrating a connection relationship between main components.

Referring to FIG. 4, the second rail 320 may be electrically connected to the external power source 50. That is, the second rail 320 may be electrically connected directly to the external power source 50.

The second rail 320 may be electrically connected to the first rail 310. Therefore, the current from the external power source 50 may be supplied to the first rail 310 through the second rail 320.

The first rail 310 may be electrically connected to the heating module 200, the first moving means 410, and the second moving means 420, respectively.

In detail, the first rail 310 and the second moving means 420 may be directly electrically connected to each other. The first rail 310 and the heating module 200 may also be directly electrically connected to each other.

In addition, the first rail 310 and the first moving means 410 may be electrically connected through a contact terminal 280 provided in the heating module 200.

The heating module 200, the first moving means 410 and the second moving means 420 may be controlled by the controller (C). For example, the heating module 200, the first moving means 410 and the second moving means 420 may communicate with the control unit C through a wireless communication method.

The heating module 200, the first moving means 410 and the second moving means 420 may be provided with a communication module (not shown) for communicating with the control unit C, respectively, the control unit ( C) may also have a communication module.

Since the heating module 200, the first moving means 410 and the second moving means 420 is controlled by the control unit C through wireless communication, it is controlled by the control unit C through a communication line In comparison, interference between the heating module 200 and the communication line due to the movement of the heating module 200 may be prevented.

As described above, the current from the external power source 50 may be supplied to the second moving means 420 and the heating module 200 via the second rail 320 and the first rail 310 sequentially. have. In addition, the current supplied to the heating module 200 may be supplied to the first moving means 410 through the contact terminal 280 provided in the heating module 200.

In addition, the cooking appliance 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540 provided in the upper plate 100. The plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540 may include four vibration sensors (ie, first vibration sensor 510, second vibration sensor 520, third vibration sensor 530, and fourth vibration). Sensor 540).

The controller C may be electrically connected to the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540 to control the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540.

That is, the controller C may receive signals from the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540. The plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540 may be configured to detect a vibration and output a signal according to the magnitude of the vibration.

In this case, the signals from the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540 may mean output voltages of the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540. For example, each of the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540 may be formed such that the intensity of the signal (the magnitude of the output voltage) increases as the magnitude of the vibration increases.

The controller C may determine the position of the cooking vessel placed on the upper plate 100 based on the signals from the plurality of

vibration sensors

510, 520, 530, and 540.

That is, the position movement of the heating module 200 may be made based on the position of the cooking vessel. That is, the heating module 200 should be moved to be positioned below the cooking vessel. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the position of the cooking vessel before the movement of the heating module 200.

Hereinafter, with reference to the other drawings, a configuration for determining the position of the cooking vessel placed on the top plate will be described.

5 is a view showing a substrate for determining the position of the cooking vessel. Specifically, FIG. 5A is a plan view of a substrate on which a plurality of coil patterns are printed, and FIG. 5B is a conceptual diagram illustrating an arrangement relationship between a top plate, a substrate, and a heating module.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, a substrate 500 may be disposed between the upper plate 100 and the heating module 200. The substrate 500 may be disposed above the heating module 200 in a space S provided below the upper plate 100.

A plurality of coil patterns 510 may be printed on the substrate 500. The plurality of coil patterns 510 may be formed in the same shape and size. The position of the cooking vessel 150 may be determined using the plurality of coil patterns 510 printed on the substrate 500.

That is, when a current is applied to the heating module 200, the cooking vessel 150 disposed above the heating module 200 may be heated, or an induction current may be generated in the induction coil in the cooking vessel 150. That is, when the cooking vessel 150 is formed of a metal, the cooking vessel 150 itself may be heated by the heating module 200. On the contrary, when an induction coil is disposed in the cooking vessel 150, when a current is applied to the heating module 200, an induction current may be generated in the induction coil. When the induction coil is disposed in the cooking vessel 150, the outside of the cooking vessel 150 may be formed of a resin material. In this case, the induction current generated in the induction coil may be used as energy for driving the cooking vessel 150.

On the other hand, when a current is applied to the substrate 500, the position of the cooking vessel 150 may be determined. The current applied to the substrate 500 is for determining the position of the cooking vessel 150 and may be smaller than the current applied to the heating module 200. In addition, the application of current to the substrate 500 may mean that current is applied to the plurality of coil patterns 510 printed on the substrate 500.

For example, when the cooking vessel 150 is formed of metal, the cooking vessel 150 may be a load of a magnetic field generated by the heating module 200. Therefore, the number of pulses output for a predetermined time in a specific coil pattern disposed at the position where the cooking vessel 150 is placed may be smaller than the number of pulses output from other coil patterns. For example, the preset time may be 200 ms (microsec).

In addition, when the induction coil is disposed in the cooking vessel 150, the frequency of the pulse output from the specific coil pattern disposed at the position where the cooking vessel 150 is placed may be smaller than the frequency of the pulse output from the other coil pattern.

Using this principle, the position of the cooking vessel 150 disposed on the upper side of the substrate 500 may be determined, and a detailed description thereof will be described later with reference to other drawings.

The substrate 150 may be formed to have a size covering a space S provided under the upper plate 100. That is, the upper end of the space S may be completely covered by the substrate 150. This is to make it possible to determine all the positions where the cooking vessel 150 is placed within the movable range of the heating module 200.

When the plurality of coil patterns 510 are disposed on the bottom surface of the substrate, the moving heating module 200 may interfere with the plurality of coil patterns 510. Therefore, the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be disposed on the upper surface of the substrate 500.

In addition, the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be disposed on the substrate 500 to form a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals. This is to accurately determine the position of the cooking vessel 150 by comparing the number and frequency of pulses output from each coil pattern.

When the cooking vessel 150 is placed on the upper plate 100, when a current is applied to the substrate 500, the position of the cooking vessel 150 may be determined. In addition, the heating module 200 may be moved to the lower side of the cooking vessel 150 based on the determined position of the cooking vessel 150.

Hereinafter, a method of determining the position of the cooking vessel 150 through the substrate 500 will be described with reference to other drawings.

Referring to FIG. 6, the cooking appliance 10 may further include an inverter unit 530 that applies a resonance current to the substrate 500. That is, the inverter unit 530 may be formed to apply a resonance current to each of the plurality of coil patterns 510 provided on the substrate 500.

The cooking appliance 10 may further include a power supply unit 70 supplying power to the inverter unit 530. That is, the inverter unit 530 may receive a predetermined voltage through the power supply unit 70.

The inverter unit 530 may apply a voltage lower than the voltage applied to the heating module 200 to each of the plurality of coil patterns 510. For example, a voltage of 40 to 60 volts may be applied to each of the plurality of coil patterns 510 by the inverter unit 530. In this embodiment, a voltage of 50 volts may be applied to each of the plurality of coil patterns 510.

The controller C may determine the position of the cooking vessel 150 on the upper plate 100 based on the number or frequency of pulses of the resonance current applied to each of the plurality of coil patterns 510.

According to the present invention, the position of the cooking vessel 150 can be determined accurately and easily using the substrate 500 which is easy to manufacture and low in cost.

The inverter unit 530 may generate a plurality of coil patterns 510 at a predetermined cycle. That is, the controller C may control the inverter unit 530 to generate a single pulse at a predetermined cycle in the plurality of coil patterns 510 until the position of the cooking vessel 150 is determined.

The inverter unit 530 may simultaneously generate a single pulse on the plurality of coil patterns 510. Therefore, the number or frequency of pulses output from the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be compared under the same condition.

The cooking apparatus 10 may further include a recognizing unit 550 formed to recognize at least one of the number and frequency of pulses output from the plurality of coil patterns 510. The recognition unit 550 may be provided in plurality. The plurality of recognition units 550 may be provided in the same number as the plurality of coil patterns 510. That is, each of the plurality of recognition units 550 may correspond to each of the plurality of coil patterns 510 (for example, 1: 1 correspondence).

Therefore, the number and frequency of pulses for a predetermined time output from each coil pattern 510 can be detected more quickly and accurately.

In detail, the controller C may be electrically connected to the plurality of recognizers 550 to receive information about the number and frequency of pulses generated in each coil pattern 510. The controller C may determine a target coil pattern corresponding to a position where the cooking vessel 150 is placed among the plurality of coil patterns 510 based on the information. Here, the target coil pattern may be one or more specific coil patterns indicating a position where the cooking vessel 150 is placed among the plurality of coil patterns 510.

For example, when the cooking vessel 150 is formed of metal, the number of pulses for a predetermined time output from the target coil pattern among the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be different from other coil patterns.

In addition, when the cooking vessel 150 includes an induction coil, a frequency output from the target coil pattern among the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be different from other coil patterns.

As such, the controller C may determine the position of the cooking vessel 150 based on the number and frequency of pulses for a predetermined time output from each of the plurality of coil patterns 510.

In addition, the controller C may determine the type of the cooking vessel 150 by comparing the number of pulses and the frequency for a predetermined time. That is, when the position of the cooking vessel 150 is identified by comparing the number of pulses for a predetermined time, the cooking vessel 150 may be determined to be formed of metal. On the contrary, when the position of the cooking vessel 150 is identified by comparing the frequencies, the cooking vessel 150 may be determined to have an induction coil.

Of course, the information on the position of each of the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be determined through an experiment, and may be stored in advance in the memory M electrically connected to the controller C. For example, location information corresponding to each coil pattern 510 may be stored in the memory M. FIG.

That is, the controller C may receive information about the location of the target coil pattern through the memory M in which the location information of each of the plurality of coil patterns 510 is stored. The controller C may determine the position of the cooking vessel 150 based on the information on the position of the target coil pattern. Therefore, the position of the cooking vessel 150 may be easily determined based on the position information of the plurality of coil patterns 510.

The target coil pattern may include a first target coil pattern completely overlapping the lower side of the cooking vessel 150 and a second target coil pattern disposed to partially overlap the lower side of the cooking vessel 150.

That is, a coil pattern disposed to completely overlap the bottom surface of the cooking vessel 150 or the induction coil of the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be the first target coil pattern. In contrast, a coil pattern disposed to partially overlap the lower surface of the cooking vessel 150 or the induction coil of the plurality of coil patterns 510 may be a second target coil pattern.

The number and frequency of pulses for a predetermined time may be different from each other in the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern. That is, the number of pulses for a predetermined time output from the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern may be different from each other. In addition, frequencies output from the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern may be different from each other.

In this way, the target coil pattern is divided into a first target coil pattern and a second target coil pattern, so that the position of the cooking vessel 150 may be more accurately determined.

More specifically, when the cooking vessel 150 is not located on the upper plate 100, the number of pulses of the resonant currents recognized by all of the plurality of recognizing units 550 is equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference number, and the resonance The frequency of the current may be a first preset reference frequency.

That is, when the cooking vessel 150 is formed of metal, the number of pulses of the resonance current recognized by all of the plurality of recognition units 550 may be equal to or greater than the first reference number. In addition, when the cooking vessel 150 includes the induction coil, the frequency of the resonance current recognized by all of the plurality of recognition units 550 may be the first reference frequency.

The controller C is the upper plate when the number of pulses of the resonant current recognized by all of the plurality of recognizing units 550 is greater than or equal to a first predetermined reference number and the frequency of the resonant current is a predetermined first reference frequency. It may be determined that the cooking vessel 150 is not positioned on the 100.

On the contrary, when the cooking vessel 150 formed of metal is positioned on the upper plate 100, the cooking vessel 150 is output from one or more specific coil patterns at least partially overlapping at positions of the cooking vessel 150 among the plurality of coil patterns 510. The number of pulses of the resonance current may be less than the first reference number.

Accordingly, the controller C may determine that the coil pattern having the number of pulses of the resonant current less than the first reference number and smaller than or equal to the predetermined second reference number that is smaller than the first reference number is the second target coil pattern. . In addition, the controller C may determine that the coil pattern having the number of pulses of the resonance current is less than the second reference number as the first target coil pattern. For example, the first reference number may be 4 to 5, and the second reference number may be 1 to 2.

In addition, when the cooking vessel 150 having the induction coil is located on the upper plate 100, the output from one or more specific coil patterns at least partially overlapping the position of the cooking vessel 150 among the plurality of coil patterns 510. The frequency of the resonant current may be less than the first reference frequency.

Accordingly, the controller C may determine that a coil pattern having a resonance frequency less than the first reference frequency and having a second reference frequency smaller than the first reference frequency is the second target coil pattern. In addition, the controller C may determine that the coil pattern having the resonance current frequency less than the second reference frequency as the first target coil pattern.

As such, the presence or absence of the cooking vessel 150 on the upper plate 100 and the cooking vessel 150 of the cooking vessel 150 are output from the plurality of coil patterns 510 and respectively recognized by the plurality of recognition units 550. The location can be easily determined. In addition, it may be easily determined whether the cooking vessel 150 is formed of metal or provided with an induction coil.

Meanwhile, after the position of the cooking vessel 150 is determined, the controller C may move the above-described heating module 200 to a position corresponding to the cooking vessel 150. That is, the controller C may move the heating module 200 to the lower side of the cooking vessel based on the determined position of the cooking vessel 150.

Therefore, even if the user places the cooking vessel 150 at any position on the top plate 100, a heating module for heating the cooking vessel 150 or generating an induction current in the induction coil provided in the cooking vessel 150 The position of the 200 can be adjusted automatically.

In detail, the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern may be simultaneously detected. In this case, it is preferable to use the position information of the first target coil pattern disposed to completely overlap the cooking vessel 150 for the position determination of the cooking vessel 150.

That is, when the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern are simultaneously detected, the controller C may move the heating module 200 based on the position of the first target coil pattern.

Of course, in this case, in order to more accurately determine the position of the cooking vessel 150, position information of the second target coil pattern may be used by the controller C for reference. For example, when one first target coil pattern and a plurality of second target coil patterns are sensed at the same time, cooking is performed in consideration of the position information of the first target coil pattern and the center position information of the plurality of second target coil patterns. The position of the container 150 can be determined.

In addition, when the size of the cooking vessel 150 is relatively large, a plurality of first target coil patterns may be detected. That is, a plurality of first target coil patterns may be detected by the controller C.

When the plurality of first target coil patterns are detected, the controller C may move the heating module 200 based on a position corresponding to the center of the plurality of first target coil patterns.

In addition, while the size of the cooking vessel 150 is relatively small, the cooking vessel 150 may be disposed between adjacent coil patterns. In this case, a plurality of second target coil patterns may be detected. That is, a plurality of second target coil patterns may be detected by the controller C.

When the plurality of second target coil patterns are detected, the controller C may move the heating module 200 based on a position corresponding to the center of the plurality of second target coil patterns.

As described above, according to the present invention, by using the plurality of coil patterns 510 arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns on the substrate 500, the position of the cooking vessel 150 on the top plate 100 is fast. It can be judged accurately.

Although described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiment of the present invention as described above, those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims Various modifications may be made to the invention. Therefore, changes in the future embodiments of the present invention will not be able to escape the technology of the present invention.

Claims

A top plate supporting a cooking vessel;

A heating module formed to be movable in a space provided below the upper plate and having a coil;

A substrate disposed between the upper plate and the heating module and having a plurality of coil patterns printed thereon;

An inverter unit applying a resonance current to each of the plurality of coil patterns; And

It includes a control unit for controlling the heating module, the substrate and the inverter unit,

The control unit is characterized in that for determining the position of the cooking vessel on the top plate based on the number or frequency of the pulse of the resonance current applied to each of the plurality of coil patterns.
The method of claim 1,

The substrate is cooker, characterized in that the size formed to cover the top of the space.
The method of claim 1,

The plurality of coil patterns are arranged to form a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals on the substrate.
The method of claim 3,

The control unit,

And controlling the inverter unit repeatedly to generate a one shot pulse at a predetermined cycle in the plurality of coil patterns until the position of the cooking vessel is determined.
The method of claim 4, wherein

And a plurality of recognition units connected to the plurality of coil patterns, respectively, to recognize the number and frequency of pulses generated from the corresponding coil patterns.
The method of claim 5,

The control unit,

Electrically connected to the plurality of recognition units to receive information on the number and frequency of pulses generated in each coil pattern,

And a target coil pattern corresponding to a position at which the cooking vessel is placed among the plurality of coil patterns based on the information.
The method of claim 6,

The control unit,

Receive information on the position of the target coil pattern through the memory in which the position information of each of the plurality of coil patterns is stored,

And determine the position of the cooking vessel based on the information on the position of the target coil pattern.
The method of claim 6,

The target coil pattern includes a first target coil pattern disposed to completely overlap the lower side of the cooking vessel and a second target coil pattern disposed to partially overlap the lower side of the cooking vessel,

And the number or frequency of pulses detected in the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern are different from each other.
The method of claim 8,

The control unit,

When the number of pulses of the resonant current recognized by all of the plurality of recognizing units is equal to or greater than a first preset reference number and the frequency of the resonant current is a preset first reference frequency

Cooking apparatus, characterized in that it is determined that the cooking vessel is not located on the top plate.
The method of claim 9,

The control unit,

A coil pattern having a number of pulses of resonance current less than the first reference number and smaller than the first reference number or more than a second predetermined reference number is determined as a second target coil pattern.

And a coil pattern having a pulse number of resonance currents less than the second reference number as the first target coil pattern.
The method of claim 9,

The control unit,

A coil pattern having a frequency of resonant current less than the first reference frequency and less than or equal to a second reference frequency smaller than the first reference frequency is determined as a second target coil pattern.

And a coil pattern having a frequency of a resonance current less than the second reference frequency as the first target coil pattern.
The method of claim 8,

The control unit,

Cooking unit, characterized in that for moving the heating module to the lower side of the cooking vessel based on the determined position of the cooking vessel.
The method of claim 12,

The control unit,

And when the first target coil pattern and the second target coil pattern are sensed at the same time, moving the heating module based on the position of the first target coil pattern.
The method of claim 12,

The control unit,

And when the plurality of first target coil patterns are detected, moving the heating module based on a position corresponding to the center of the plurality of first target coil patterns.
The method of claim 12,

The control unit,

And when the plurality of second target coil patterns is detected, moving the heating module based on a position corresponding to the center of the plurality of second target coil patterns.